Monday, 14 May 2012

Decline in Superbug Infections Linked to Hand Hygiene Compliance

It’s not just in the United States that Arizona medical malpractice attorneys
have noted a decline in the number of hospital-acquired infections caused by
so-called superbugs.Across the
pond too, hospitals have been reporting substantial reductions in the number of
these infections after staff began to stress on hand hygiene compliance.

According to the results of a new study that
have been published in the British Medical Journal website, a campaign across
England and Wales to increase hand washing compliance rates led to a dramatic
decline in the number of superbug infections.The campaign was kicked off in June 2005, at a time when the
British public was becoming wary of the high number of hospital-acquired
infections.

The campaign was called Clean Your Hands, and
as part of the campaign, staffs at hospitals were frequently exposed to posters
that reminded them to wash their hands before and after checking patients.There were also regular checks to
ensure that staff members were complying with hand hygiene rules.In order to make it easier for staff
members to comply with these rules, alcohol gels were placed by bedsides.

The results were dramatic.By 2008, there was a dramatic increase
in the number of alcohol and soap being purchased by hospitals.The total volume increased by 3 times,
from 22 ML per patient per day to 60 ML per patient per day.

The increasing use of soap and alcohol
translated into lower rates of hospital-acquired infections.The rates of deadly MRSA infections,
which are some of the deadliest infections actually dropped by more than 50%
while rates of C. diff infections fell by more than 40%.

According to the study's authors, as many as
10,000 lives could have been saved as a result of the increased hand hygiene
compliance.